Gates Foundation plans to spend $200 billion before closing in 2045
Bill Gates announced on Thursday (8) that he will donate a large part of his remaining fortune to his philanthropic foundation, which aims to spend “more than US$ 200 billion” (R$ 1.14 trillion) by 2045, when it will end its work.
“A lot can happen in 20 years. I want to make sure the world moves forward in that time,” the Microsoft co-founder explained in an open letter about the Gates Foundation, which fights poverty and disease.
Since its creation in 2000, the institution has allocated 53.8 billion dollars (308 billion reais) to various projects, focusing mainly on health, education and development.
In early February, Gates told the BBC he had given away more than $100 billion to charity, including $60 billion to his foundation.
According to Forbes magazine, the rest of his fortune amounts to approximately US$113 billion (R$648 billion).
The charity was founded by Bill Gates, his ex-wife Melinda French Gates and businessman Warren Buffett, chairman of the Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate.
Formerly known as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it was renamed the Gates Foundation in 2024, with Melinda's departure, three years after the couple's divorce.
The foundation helps fund the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi).
At the end of 2024, the Gates Foundation's net assets were $71.3 billion. For 2025, the budget was set at $8.7 billion.
In line with the work done during his first 25 years, Bill Gates has established three priorities for his last twenty years of existence.
The focus will be on combating infant mortality, infectious diseases – mainly polio, dracunculiasis, measles and malaria – as well as educational projects.
Bill Gates paid tribute to Warren Buffett, who “remains the ultimate model of generosity.”
“I hope other wealthy people realize how much they can improve the lives of the world’s poorest people by increasing their giving,” he noted.
you/eb/db/mel/jc/aa
IstoÉ
